Method and apparatus for annealing strips



l.. wlLsoN 2,109,204

METHOD AND APPARATUS ANNEALING STRIPS Filed oct. 16, 193e;l sheets-smet 1 Feb. 22, 1938.

Feb. 22, 193s. `W|LSON 2,109,204

METHOD AND APPARATUS POR ANNEALING STRIPS Filed Oct. 16, 1956 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Feb. 22, 1.938

UNITED STATES P.A'rrzrrr OFFICE ME'rnoD'AND .APPARATUS Fon ANNEAL- rNGs'rnlPs Lee Wilson,`Oleveland, Ohio y Application october 1s, \1936,seria1 No. 115,992

11 Claims. '(ol. 26e-3) l This invention relates to the art of annealing A and, particularly, to annealing of strip in strand form.

In my copending application Serial No. 26,853, led June 15, 1935, for Method and apparatus for annealingrI have described and claimed a method of annealing strip in strand form by passing it through a continuous furnace and ceiling it while it retains a substantial amount of heat' from the annealing operation. I have now developed an improved form of apparatus for carrying out' this method and a variation of the method itself, both of which I shall describe and claim herein. In accordance with the present invention, I provide acover-type furnace including a supporting base and an enclosing bell, for annealing strip instrand form. The interior of the bell is provided with radiant heat exchange tubes. 'I'he base is provided with means for supporting a coil while it is unwound. The cover also carries an enclosure for coiling means adapted to recoil the strip after annealing. Further details and advantages of the construction and method contemplated herein will become apparent as the following description thereof proceeds, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a present preferred'embodiment of the apparatus and )0 practice of the method of my invention. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view present invention; 5 Fig 2 is a partial sectional line II-II of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view taken along the line III- III of Fig. 1.. v

Thel apparatus of my invention comprises a base I!) and a cover Il. The base IIJ comprises a refractory hearth I2 laid on a structural framework I3. The base is surrounded on two sides, and the right-hand end by a sealing channel I4. The cover II includes an annealing chamber 7, I5 and a coiling chamber I5a. The annealing chamber is composed of side walls I6, an outer end wall I1, and a roof I8 -of refractory material assembled within a structural frame I9. The annealing chamberalso has van inner end Wall 3; 20 extending downwardly from the roof I8 about one-half the depth of the chamber. The other Y portion of the inner end wall is indicated at 2 and is carried on the base IIB. end wall portions 2U and 2I are recessed to form a slot 22, the joint between the wall portions beview taken along the through an annealing apparatus according to the The edges of the ing indicated at 23. A door 24 permits theslot 22 to be partially closed as desired.

Coil-supporting rollers 26 are journaled in Vbearings 21 mounted on the base Ill'for supporting coils of strip as shown. at 23. 'I'he rollers 26 are provided at one end with ratchet wheels` 23 adapted to be driven by oscillating pawls 3,0, carried on plates 3l journaled on the ends of the rollers 26. Pitmen 32 extend downwardly through the base I0 to bellv cranks 33, which are oscillated back and forth by a. reciprocable shaft 34'. The openings -through which the pitmen 32 extend are sealed by fluid cups 35 carried on the pitmen, cooperating with sleeves 36 carried' on. the base. 'I'he lreciprocation of the shaft 34, of course, causes rot-ation of a coil 28 to unwind strip therefrom.

Radiant heat. exchange *tubes 31 extend through the .side walls I6 adjacent their lower edges and upwardly to a level between the roof I8 and the top of the coil 28. Thence they extend transversely across the annealing chamber 'and out through the opposite side wall. A

burner (not shown) is positioned in the lower end of each tube for supplying hot combustion gases thereto. The tubes become heated to radiant condition by the passage of these gases and radiate heat to the coil 28`and the strand unwound therefrom, which is indicated at 38. The upper ends of the tubes have seals 33. The horizontal portions of the tubes are suspended by hangers 43. i

A wheeled car 4I is adapted to travel on rails 42 extending transversely of the left-hand end of the base II'I.4 The car is provided with coiling means comprising standards 43, a coiling mandrei 44 journaled therein, and a ratchet and paw] drive 45 therefor similar'to those for driving therollers 26. The drive for the ceiling. mandrel 44- is actuated by' the shaft 34 which is driven by] a motor 46 through a geared eccentric drive 41. 'I'he car 4I has a sealing channel 4 8 on three'sides thereof similar to that shown at I4. A transverse sealing channel 49 extends across the end of the base I0 adjacent the rails 42. A down-turned ange 50 on the .car cooperates with this channel to seal the joint between the car and the base.

A housing 5I extends upwardly from the car and surrounds the standards 43 which is provided with a sealing chamber 52 adjacent its upper edge. An inner cover- 53 normally .held in elevated position as shown, by thrustrods 54, is adapted to be lowered over the coiling mechanism, its lower edges being seated in the channel 52. The thrust rods 5I are carried on a cross head `,55 mounted below the base I which is adapted to be raised andv lowered by a piston and cylinder 55.

The coiiing chamber Ia is composed of vsheathing 51 secured to a structural frame ,simi-- chamber adiacent the slot 22. Pinch rolls il are mounted on standards Il adjacent the slot to assist in drawing theY strand of strip therethrough.

A description of the operation of the apparatus already explained will sumce to disclose the method of my inventions The cover Il is raised from the base It, as by an overhead crane and s,

an open-bottomed coiiing enclosure extending coils of strip disposed on the rollers 26. The end of the coil is passed through the pinch rolls 60 and is started on the coiiing mandrels M with which pressing rollers $2 cooperate. The cover' is then lowered onto the base, a peripheral flange 63 depending therefrom entering the sealing channels Il and 48. A suitable gaseous atmosphere, preferably non-oxidizing, is introduced into the annealing and coiiing chambers by any convenient rmeans, not shown. When the dedrels The strip thus unwinds from the coil 28 and is re-coiled after annealing on the mandrels Il. 'Ihe yair traversing the tubes 59 cools theY strip as it emerges from .the annealing-'chamber suiiiciently to prevent'y sticking between .adjacent turns coiled on the mandrels.

When the coils have been annealed throughout and their entire`4 length transferred onto the mandrels 4l, the inner cover 53 is lowered onto the vhousing 5I. The cover Il is then raised and the car li may be moved away from the base i0. Before doing this, it is necessary to disconnect the pitman operating the ratchet and pawl drive illustrated position and the ends of the coils started on the mandrels Il as before.V The cover I I may then be lowered and the annealing process repeated.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the invention provides highly eiiicient means for annealing stx'ip in strand form. The coiled strip is unwound, heated to the annealing temperature in strand form and recoiled, `and is protected against contact. with the atmosphere throughout the operation. Similarly, the annealed strip is cooled after recoiling in the absence of air. The inner cover 5I and the housing 5I serve to retard the rate of cooling of the annealed coils, as well as aording protection against atmospheric oxidation.

'I'he apparatus is compact and simple in construction, and is relatively low in cost compared to furnaces previously used for annealing strip in strands. The operation is largely automatic, except for the placing of fresh coils of stripand the removal of annealed coil. The operation is semi-continuous, and a. relatively large production of annealed strip can be obtained at a low unit cost. V

Although I havev illustrated and described a preferred form of the apparatus and practice of the method of. my invention, changes therein may be made without departing from the spirit oi' the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Iv claim:

1. Annealing apparatus comprising a baseportion, any open-bottomed furnace cover adapted to be lowered thereover and raised therefrom,

from one end of said cover and liftable therewith, a base-portion which the enclosure is adapted to overlie, and coiiing means on said last-mentioned base-portion.

y 2. The apparatus defined by claim 1 vcharacterized by said last-mentioned base-portion being movable to and from a position in alinement with said first-mentioned base-portion.

3.' The apparatus defined by claim lA characterized by a coil holder on said iirst-mentioned base portion. Y

4. The apparatus defined by claim 1 .characterized by means in the coiiing enclosure for cooling the strip as it emerges from the heating chamber. I

5. Annealing apparatus comprising a. basejincluding a xed portion and a.Y movable portion, a m

removable cover adapted to cooperate withfsai'd base, said cover including an insulated chamber adapted to overlie the fixed portion of theV base, said cover having means thereon for heatih'gf strip passing therethrough, and a second cha'xn-i` ber overlying the movable'portion of the base;

said movable portion having means thereon for.

coiiing strip emerging from the insulated chamber.

6. The apparatus .defined by claim 1,`char acterized by rotatable means on said first mentioned base portion for supporting a coil of strip for unwinding.

'1.-The apparatus defined by; claim l, characterized by a. protective cover within said enclosure, and verticallyreciprocable means exis j tending through the base portion which said recoiling the full length f. the strip therein and` while it remains enclosed in the coiiing chamber, and removing the second coil from the coiiing chamber for cooling while maintaining it covered.

9. A cover type furnace comprising a base, an insulated heating chamber and an enclosed coiling chamber mounted within a common frame and adapted to be removably disposed on said base, and means for uncoiling and recoiling strip so positioned on said base as to lie in said chambers, respectively.

1'0. Annealing apparatus comprising a cover and a base forming an annealing furnace, a frame supporting the cover, .a coiling enclosure carried by said frame, a movable coiler cooperating with said enclosure, and cooperating means on the coiler and enclosure constituting them a substantially gas tight chamber.

11. 'I'he combination with a cover and base forming an annealing furnace, a frame supporting the cover, and an enclosure carried by said v 

